Boston University. University Professors Program Senior theses. / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-02

This research examines the correlation between government Ineptitude and the rise of internal displacement as an international phenomenon by using Burma, Colombia and Sudan as models for the crisis, as they are nations deeply affected by inefficient governments and constant civil strife. There ls a very strong parallel between the magnitude of displacement and the rote the government plays in igniting, or preventing, conflict in each respective area. These governments have played an active role In the internal displacement crisis by pursuing, encouraging and supporting policies of forced migrations. Internal displacement, like any other socio-political phenomenon, is a consequence of multiple intricately connected factors, but It Is within domestic governments that the power to constrain or ameliorate the effects of these factors lies, and for this reason they should be looked to when searching for solutions. Analyzing this link can provide a lesson on how the international community should respond to the problem and how reintegration, resettlement and involving local populations in the protection of their own rights, can reduce the crisis.

Migration and exile due to human rights violations have long been key topics in Latin American studies. In the Colombian context, a compelling corpus of texts has surfaced that deals specifically with the phenomenon of forced internal displacement. Colombia is second only to Sudan in terms of the number of victims––some four million people––who have had to leave their homes and communities because of civil unrest. In this dissertation, I consider the socio-political construct of the displaced to be a homogenizing term used by the media and official discourse to refer to those affected by internal exile. This study centres on the uses and impacts of this identity marker at individual and collective levels within a cultural studies approach. In Chapter 1, I discuss three different genres: a novel, which references testimonio accounts, and a play that is partly based on both. The sheer diversity of characters that become part of the displaced category exposes relevant racial, ethnic, and ideological alliances that emphasize us-them relations. An analysis of Luis Alberto Restrepo’s film La primera noche, Chapter 2 deals with the juxtaposition of the rural and urban so as to expose the ramifications of dispossession at multiple degrees of individual and collective identification and examines effects of marginality by contrasting the conditions of the displaced against those of other marginalized populations. In Chapter 3, I argue that music is a tool of both denunciation and declaration through an analysis of a collection of songs written and performed by members of Afro-Colombian displaced communities. I study these vallenato and rap songs, fused with unconventional lyrics and musical elements, as testimonial texts that contest issues of land rights vis-à-vis collective identity and agency. Finally, Chapter 4 is a cross-examination of the shelter within a series of photographs. I first read the refugee centre as a bio-political space where residents are subject to extreme inhumane conditions, and I then show the shelter to be a space that elicits movements of solidarity and resistance, and counters the notion of the displaced as a homogeneous group.

Migration and exile due to human rights violations have long been key topics in Latin American studies. In the Colombian context, a compelling corpus of texts has surfaced that deals specifically with the phenomenon of forced internal displacement. Colombia is second only to Sudan in terms of the number of victims––some four million people––who have had to leave their homes and communities because of civil unrest. In this dissertation, I consider the socio-political construct of the displaced to be a homogenizing term used by the media and official discourse to refer to those affected by internal exile. This study centres on the uses and impacts of this identity marker at individual and collective levels within a cultural studies approach. In Chapter 1, I discuss three different genres: a novel, which references testimonio accounts, and a play that is partly based on both. The sheer diversity of characters that become part of the displaced category exposes relevant racial, ethnic, and ideological alliances that emphasize us-them relations. An analysis of Luis Alberto Restrepo’s film La primera noche, Chapter 2 deals with the juxtaposition of the rural and urban so as to expose the ramifications of dispossession at multiple degrees of individual and collective identification and examines effects of marginality by contrasting the conditions of the displaced against those of other marginalized populations. In Chapter 3, I argue that music is a tool of both denunciation and declaration through an analysis of a collection of songs written and performed by members of Afro-Colombian displaced communities. I study these vallenato and rap songs, fused with unconventional lyrics and musical elements, as testimonial texts that contest issues of land rights vis-à-vis collective identity and agency. Finally, Chapter 4 is a cross-examination of the shelter within a series of photographs. I first read the refugee centre as a bio-political space where residents are subject to extreme inhumane conditions, and I then show the shelter to be a space that elicits movements of solidarity and resistance, and counters the notion of the displaced as a homogeneous group.

This study explores how Donbass IDPs in Kyiv view the role of the state in relation to ‘durable solutions’ to their displacement. Specifically, it examines the expectations on the state as a provider of rights and entitlements vis-à- vis IDPs. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with Donbas IDPs, experiences of displacement and perceptions of durable solutions and citizen-state relations are exemplified. The data collection and analysis methodologies applied allow for the elicitation of the views and opinions of IDPs, in an attempt to mitigate vertical policy-making. The concepts of citizenship, state and sovereignty are applied to analyze the relationship between IDPs and the state. Further, the IASC framework for durable solutions to internal displacement is used to as a structure to outline the views of the IDPs. The results show a large discrepancy between the expectations of the respondents on the states’ role in durable solutions to displacement, and the experience of this in reality. Furthermore, the results reveal high levels of discontent, resignation and apathy towards the state as a provider of durable solutions, especially in terms of returning to Donbass.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been ravished by internal conflicts for the past two decades. These conflicts have come at a great cost to the people of the DRC, often resulting in a number of human rights atrocities. These atrocities range from the loss of life, resulted in internal displacement and creation of refugees’ communities, as well as the destruction of property and infrastructure , all contributing to prevailing conditions of poverty and deep societal divisions. While there are many underlying factors that fuel these conflicts, the key drivers of the conflict are linked to the unequal distribution of the DRC’s national resources and the mismanagement of public services. Intense frustration and a sense of helplessness to change the status quo have repeatedly manifested itself in a cycle of war and ethnic cleansing. In this regard, the pattern of conflicts has been the manifestation of the frustration of the Congolese people as a whole. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2010. / A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Law University of Pretoria, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Law (LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa). Prepared under the supervision of Prof. Nico Steytler at the Faculty of Law, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa. 2010. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/ / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }@font-face { font-family: "MS Mincho"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria; }p.MsoFootnoteText, li.MsoFootnoteText, div.MsoFootnoteText { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria; }span.MsoFootnoteReference { vertical-align: super; }span.FootnoteTextChar { }span.citationtext { }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria; }div.WordSection1 { } Over the past fifty years, civil war has held a relentless grip on Colombia. Aside from the staggering numbers of casualties that have resulted, millions have been internally displaced and unwilling to return home. Many are fleeing from forced military recruitment of youths, sexual violence, kidnapping and murder. After Syria, Colombia has one of the highest populations of Internally Displaced People (IDP): 5,841,040, as of December 2015. It is unknown how many more refugees are not officially registered[1]. The majority of the IDP population migrates from rural villages and towns to large cities, such as Bogotá and Medellín, where there are opportunities for safety, income and improvised shelter.[2] Referencing existing models for Colombian housing and shelter for IDPs and street kids, this research examines the needs of the displaced population and creates a set of criteria for a long-term, integrative housing solution. This thesis focuses on internally displaced youths and women in the Southern-Pacific region of Colombia, as they make up the largest portion of registered IDPs and refugees in Colombia.[3] The goal of the project is to design the user’s progression through a system of increasingly supportive levels: “Entrance to the shelter,” “Full-time residence,” “Reintegration to society.” The site and program encourage commensalism, or relationship where one part benefits from the other without causing harm, with the surrounding community. This thesis also references studies of community-based design, low-cost and sustainable housing, transitional shelters, and homeless communities. [1] "Colombia." UNHCR News. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. . [2] Ibid. [3] Ibid.

In 1998 the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement were developed following years of crises faced by the millions of people experiencing forced displacement, especially those internally displaced. These Principles were widely considered to be precedent setting, both historically and normatively. However, the examination of the construction of the international norms that underpin the Principles indicates that there are important epistemological weaknesses in widely used constructivist frameworks that understand normative shifts in international relations. They are critiqued as being impedingly linear, temporally compressed and analytically obstructive in its agent-centric view of norm cascading. This research aims to address some of these gaps with an enhanced life-cycle model using cluster genealogies and the processes of replication and particularization. The reformulated framework is tested for robustness and feasibility using two preliminary cases – UNSC Resolution 1325 and the Chemical Weapons Convention. It is then used to conduct an in-depth original analysis of the development of the 1998 UN Guiding Principles. The findings in the case of the Guiding Principles show, for example, that though the acceptance of the IDP definition was a big leap, the replication and particularization of human rights limits the humanitarian scope of the Guiding Principles, and also brings into question existing humanitarian protection of IDPs under the Geneva Conventions. Meanwhile, rooting them in ‘sovereignty as responsibility’ has not shifted the community of states’ intersubjective take on sovereignty, but it has added to the existing normative tension – individual vs. state – that underpins the very understanding of sovereignty.

In 1998 the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement were developed following years of crises faced by the millions of people experiencing forced displacement, especially those internally displaced. These Principles were widely considered to be precedent setting, both historically and normatively. However, the examination of the construction of the international norms that underpin the Principles indicates that there are important epistemological weaknesses in widely used constructivist frameworks that understand normative shifts in international relations. They are critiqued as being impedingly linear, temporally compressed and analytically obstructive in its agent-centric view of norm cascading. This research aims to address some of these gaps with an enhanced life-cycle model using cluster genealogies and the processes of replication and particularization. The reformulated framework is tested for robustness and feasibility using two preliminary cases – UNSC Resolution 1325 and the Chemical Weapons Convention. It is then used to conduct an in-depth original analysis of the development of the 1998 UN Guiding Principles. The findings in the case of the Guiding Principles show, for example, that though the acceptance of the IDP definition was a big leap, the replication and particularization of human rights limits the humanitarian scope of the Guiding Principles, and also brings into question existing humanitarian protection of IDPs under the Geneva Conventions. Meanwhile, rooting them in ‘sovereignty as responsibility’ has not shifted the community of states’ intersubjective take on sovereignty, but it has added to the existing normative tension – individual vs. state – that underpins the very understanding of sovereignty.

This thesis tries to display the practice of forced migration experienced in East and Southeast Anatolia after 1980s in Turkey and its consequences through the lived experiences of internally displaced women and children. In the first phase, the historical background of the practice of forced migration, which continues ever since the Ottoman period and the Republican period as well, has been analyzed within the framework of implementations and laws on settlement. In the second phase, in-depth interviews were made with internally displaced women and children living in Diyarbakir and Istanbul and embarking upon the lived experience of internally displaced women and children before, during and after the flight, the issue of social integration with the &lsquo / host&rsquo / population was analyzed comparatively. What was claimed with this comparative analysis was the fact that there would be a significant difference on experiencing the consequences of forced migration and social integration among the internally displaced women and youngsters living in Diyarbakir, which is a metropolis Kurdish citizens are intense, and those living in Istanbul, where Kurdish citizens are relatively low in numbers. Consequently, through the information gathered with this study, the extent that internally displaced persons are socially integrated with the &lsquo / host&rsquo / populations was depicted and that whether the spatial difference had a significant effect on the issue of social integration was analyzed.